Circles of Conversation

Barrington Education Foundation (BEF) is celebrating our 25th year of championing extraordinary educational opportunities in the Barrington Public Schools. At this milestone, we are looking ahead to our next 25 years and are hosting a variety of activities to re-imagine extraordinary education. In December, the community joined us for a screening of the documentary, “Most Likely To Succeed,” which began a discussion about the future of education and how BEF can contribute to the continued growth of our public school system.

What’s up next? In an effort to continue this dialog, BEF is organizing a week of inspired Circles of Conversation across our town the week of January 22-27. These Circles will provide valuable input to BEF on what our community values in education, how we are doing and what areas we might explore and focus on going forward. We are requesting your help in hosting a Circle. Don’t worry – it’s free and very easy to do.

A Circle of Conversation is a 60-minute casual conversation hosted by different individuals and organizations throughout the community in a variety of locations — your home, classroom, office, library, coffee shop, book club, etc. These conversations will take place at various times of day (whenever if most convenient for you) all during the week of January 22nd. The Circles are intended to spark ideas, insights and dreams about Barrington public school education.

How can you help? Sign up to host a Circle of Conversation! The Facilitator’s Guide is a step-by-step guide for hosting your own Circle. You Pick the time and place and invite any group you choose – friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc. We simply ask that you document your Circle of Conversation by recording your take-aways. You might write notes, capture important words/phrases and resources or take photos. Your voice is important, and we want to capture and map this insightful community feedback.